Cold weather goggles



2, 1952 w., R. cHRls'rr-iNsEN ErAL 2,619,644

COLD WEATHER GOGGLES Filed June 8, 1949 Patented Dec. 2, 1952 COLD WEATHER GOGGLES William R. Christensen, Newton Highlands, and Chester E. Cross, East Sandwich, Mass.

Application June 8, 1949, Serial No. 97,865

(Granted under the act or March 3, 1883, as

Claims.

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us oi any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to an improvement in goggles and, more Iparticularly, to the provision of anti-fogging and anti-frosting goggles for use under conditions of low ambient temperatures.

Broadly, goggles, to be efficient under low temperatures, must be constructed to prevent the condensation of moisture on the lens and also prevent, so far as possible, undue chilling of the eyes.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved goggles embodying means for cooling and dehumidifying the air trapped by the goggles frame.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved goggles structure of the completely enclosed type embodying condensers for cooling and dehumidifying the air trapped by the frame of the goggles to prevent fogging or frosting of the lens in low temperatures.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved enclosed goggles embodying air cooling and dehumidifying means on the eX- terior thereof which affects recirculation of the air confined by the frame of the goggles so that undue chilling of the eyes is prevented.

Further objects, advantages and adaptations of this invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a iront elevational View in partial cross-section of the goggles structure embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a crosssectional view on line 2--2 of Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a goggle condenser, embodying a moisture-removal and aircirculating passageway.

Referring to the drawings, goggles frame I9 comprises a conventional, flexible, rubber-type structure having a resilient, face-contacting part I I and a Web I2 connecting a bead I3, which has a flexible lens-holding groove I4 therein with the face-contacting part II. The latter is illustrated in Fig. 2 as beingprovided with a built-up or additional face-padding of cloth or chamois II',

secured by a suitable adhesive as rubber cement or the like. This additional padding II was found to aid in the goggles resisting frost at 10W temperatures and also, with the protective nosepiece hereinafter described, aided in protecting the wearer against cold.

2 As above indicated, the goggles frame Il) is of conventional rubber material, and the bead I 3 is adapted to be distorted for insertion of goggle lens I5 in groove It in the usual and conventional manner. In addition to the groove I4, there is provided a pair of snap fasteners I6, likewise of conventional structure for clamping or securing the lens I5 into g-roove I. Goggles frame II) is also provided with conventional head straps I'i, threaded through lugs or ears I9 of the goggles frame I with enlarged ends secured in T-shaped slots I9 in the lens I5 in a conventional manner. Also secured to the face-contacting portion I I, by suitable rubber cement or other adhesive, is a nose-protector body 26 of flexible cloth or chamois material.

As hereinafter described, the goggles structure is provided with air cooling and dehumidifying condensers ZI, comprising closed tubular rigid Vpassageway forming means conforming in shape in an end to end direction substantially to the outer side of the frame Il), provided With a pair of air-inlet openings or ducts 22 and outlets or ducts 23. These .passageway formingmeans or condensers 2l are of rectangular shape in cross section and may be formed from a plastic, such as moldable resin, cellulosic or the like material. If desired they may be formed of metal, and in any case with or without internal and/or external fins. In the assembled relation of the parts these passageway forming means encompass the outer side of the web of frame I 0 spaced outwardly thereof a short distance as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The web I2 is provided with a pair of apertures 24 in the top side of each eye-cup for snugly receiving the inlets 22 which are sealed therein by a suitable rubber or plastic adhesive. Along the lower portion of the frame Il) a second pair of apertures 25 is provided in the web I2, Within which apertures the air outlet ducts 23 of condensers 2I are adapted to be snugly received. The outlet ducts 23 may be xedly sealed in these apertures by means of a suitable adhesive, in the nature of rubber, resin, cellulose or the like, or they may be secured solely by the clamping pressure of the sides of the apertures 25 in the web I2. In any event the connection between the inlet and outlet ducts and the frame I0 is the sole means of mounting the condensers 2| on the frame IB.

As disclosed in Fig. 2, the goggles are provided with an inner lens or partition I5', pressed against the inner side of bead I3 so as to be held in closely spaced relationship to lens I5 by lugs 22 and 23 on condenser air inlet and outlet ducts 22 and 23, respectively. The inner lens is additionally held in position by one or more supporting or retaining blocks 26 of rubber or cork, or the like, cemented to the interior of web I2 so as to abut against the body portion II and inner lens I5 and hold the latter in place to provide a substantially sealed dead air thermal insulating space between the lenses I5 and I5. It will be observed that inlet and outlet ducts 22 and 23 communicate respectively with the upper and lower sides of the space in the frame to the rear of the inner lens I5.

By the arrangements thus provided, air is entrapped in the goggles frame IE! behind partition I5 and this air is heated by contact with the wearers face. This heated air passes into the passageways or condensers 2| through inlet duct 22. The condensers 2 I, being exposed to the outside atmosphere and spaced from frame I0, are subject to low external temperature conditions which when this temperature is low will cause moisture to condense from the air as it flows through the condensers 2i. After dehumidification of the air it flows back into the eye-cup cavities of the goggle frame I through outlet ducts 23, spreads laterally within the eye-cup cavities, again becomes warm and absorbs moisture tending to collect or condense on the inner lens I5. The air space provided between the outer and inner goggle lenses I5 and I5 is of sufficient insulating value to prevent condensation of moisturer on the confronting sides of the inner and outer lenses I5' and I5 respectively.

In the structure thus described the goggles lenses remains free of fogging and frost, or retains visibility, for periods of one hour and longer at temperatures up to minus 20 F. By spacing condensers 2I from rib I2 one half inch, for example, the condensing capacity of condensers 2i may be increased so that the range of temperatures in which the condensers are effective to prevent fogging or frosting of the lens of the goggies is increased. As heretofore mentionedy ns may be formed on the condensers 2l externally and/or internally of the units. Further, while the condenser shape is disclosed as rectangular in cross section, it may be formed in any other shape desired. For example, the shape may be molded or formed to utilize the greatest surface area contact possible without substantially increasing or enlarging its bulk size.

In accordance with the .patent statutes, the foregoing is a description in detail of what is now considered to be the preferred form of the invention, but` it will be obvious that various minor changes may be made in the structural details without departing from the spirit or" the invention, and it is intended that all such changes be included within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. An anti-fogging and anti-frosting goggles comprising a frame. including a fiexible part to contact the face of a wearer in substantially sealed relation thereto, transparent lens forming means sealed in said frame forward of the face contacting part including means defining a dead air thermal insulating space at the forward side of said frame and cooperating with the frame to dene a space to the rear of the dead air space containing air warmed by contact with the wearers face when the goggles are Worn, and an air dehumidifying and cooling condenser comprising a continuous imperforate passageway on the exthe terior of the frame extending between and having an inlet communicating with the top side of the space in said frame to the rear of the lens forming means and an outlet communicating with the bottom side of the said space to induce a convectional flow of air between the top and bottom of the said rear space.

2. An anti-fogging and anti-frosting goggles comprising a frame including a iiexible part to contact the face of a wearer in substantially sealed relation thereto, transparent lens forming means in said frame forward of the face contacting part thereof including means defining a dead air thermal insulating space at the forward side of said frame and cooperating with the frame to define a space to the rear of the dead air space containing air warmed by contact with the face of va wearer of the goggles, and means forming a passageway communicating with the space in said frame to the rear of said lens forming means along the top and bottom sides of the frame, at least a portion of the walls of said passageway forming means being exposed to the eX- terior so as to be cooled by the atmosphere and thus eifect a cooling of the air in the same so as to produce a convectional fiow of air through the passageway forming means from the top to the bottom side of the said rear space in the goggles.

3. A goggles as defined in claim 2 wherein the passageway forming means substantially conforms in shape to at least a portion of the outer periphery of the frame and is disposed in encompassing spaced relation thereto.

4. An anti-fogging and anti-frosting goggles comprising a frame including a exible part to contact the face of a wearer in substantially sealed relation thereto, transparent lens forming means in said frame forward of the face contacting part thereof including means dem'ng a dead air thermal insulating space at the forward side of said frame and cooperating with the frame to define a space to the rear of the dead air space containing air warmed by contact with the face of a wearer of tre goggles, means forminga passageway substantially conforming to the contour of at least a portion of the periphery of said frame, and cooperating means on the frame and adjacent opposite ends of said passageway forming means to mount the latter on the exterior of the frame, said passageway forming means communicating with the space isolated by the goggles to the rear of said lens forming means along the top and bottom sides of the frame so as to produce a flow oi' warm air convectionally in said passageway forming means from the top to the bottom side of the said rear space.

5. An anti-fogging and anti-frosting goggles comprising a frame including a flexible part to contact the face of a wearer in substantially sealed relation thereto, transparent lens forming means in said frame forward of the face contacting part thereorn including means defining a dead air thermal insulating space at the forward side of said frame and cooperating with the frame to denne a space to the rear of the dead air space containing air warmed by contact with the wearers face wl' en the goggles are worn, rigid passageway fo ng means extending from top to the botten side of said frame around the outer edges thereof and substantially conforming to the contour of the said outer edges, and inlet and outlet ducts on said passageway for g means snugly received in apertures respectively on the top and bottom sides of said frame in sealed relation thereto to form the sole 5 6 means for mounting said passageway forming REFERENCES CITED means on said frame, said inlet and outlet ducts The following references are of record in the establishing communication with the top and bottom sides of the space to the rear of said lens me of uns patent' forming means so as to induce a, convectional 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS flow of air between the said sides. Number Name Date WILLIAM R. CHRISTENSEN. 1,686,113 Tillyer Oct. 2, 1928 CHESTER E. CROSS. 2,373,388 Fischer Apr. 10, 1945 

